Water cooler



Cross Reference,-

, l www Hmm WATER COOLER FiledA Dec. 30, 1957 Gttorneg Patented Dec. 12,1939 UNITED STATES WATER. COOLER Lawrence C. Smith, Kenmore, N. Y.,assignor to Fedders Manufacturing Company,

falo, N. Y.

Inc., Buf- Applcation December 30, 1937, Serial No. 182,451

3 Claims.

lIhis invention relates to water coolers of the refrigerated type.

The invention is directed to a water container and a refrigerant jacket,which are mutually 5 formed to provide an annular evaporator of theflooded type, including inlet and suction headers, and a novelinterccmmunicating duct system. The entire device is constructed with aview to economy of space and ease of production, l as it is chiefiyformed of two tubular sheet metal members which lend themselves toadvantageous formation to provide extensive refrigerant surface andlarge water capacity.

In the drawing: i Fig. l is a top view of the cooler; and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section therethrough. y

The cooling unit is provided with a water reservoir or tank I0, which isin the form of a shell having an end wall II and a cylindrical side WallI2. The sidewall is formedwith annular refrigerant grooves I3 to 2 I,which preferably increase in size progressively to the largest groove2I.

A refrigerant jacket comprising a tube 22 is applied over the wall I2,and its lower extremity 23 is spun inward and brazed to the end Wall II.The upper extremity 2liof the tube is spun inward about the adjoiningextremity 25 of the shell, after a cover plate 26 has been positioned:Io over the open end of the shell. This joint is then brazed asindicated by the numeral 21, to seal both the cover plate and jacket tothe shell.

The tube 22 is formed with an internal groove 28 which registers withthe uppermost groove 2l of the shell, and forms therewith a refrigerantheader chamber 36, which is substantially in the form of a torus.

Refrigerant is supplied to the jacket through a feed conduit 3l whichdischarges into the low- 4U ermost groove I3 through a suitable fitting32. A control element such as a thermostatic valve V is interposed inthe conduit 3| to control the rate of supply.

It will be observed that the shell wall I2 and tube 22 areconcentrically spaced, as indicated by the numeral 33, so that annu-larcommunicating passages connect adjacent grooves. Refrigerant introducedinto the inlet header or lower groove I3 thus passes into the successivegrooves in its 50 passage toward the suction chamber 30, and expands andgasifes therein. The restricted passages between adjacent groovesinsures uniform distribution of the gas and liquid volumes in eachgroove, and prevents the familiar violent upward 55 surges. I'heincreasingly greater volumetric capacities of succeeding grooves aid inthis effect, and thus the products of ebullition enter the chamber 3Uwithout agitating the liquid contents in any substantial degree.

A pipe 35 enters the groove 28, and its open 5 end is disposed near thetop of the chamber for withdrawing gas therefrom for direction to thecompressor elements of the refrigeration system.

The tank I0 is supplied with water through a 10l fitting 36 extendingthrough the cover plate 2B. The water, obtained from a suitable supp-lysuch as a gravity feed or city pressure line, enters the tank ID andimpinges upon a deflector plate 3l which is formed with a peripheralflange 38 se- 15 cured to the plate 26. The plate 3l is provided withpierced holes 39 near its periphery for directing the Water toward thecold wall I2 of the tank. Being there immediately exposed to a maximumcooling effect, the water continuesl to 2QV move downward in the tankand thus causes circulation of the previously cooled water, therebypreventing stratification and the accompanying freezing effects.

Water is withdrawn from the tank through a 25 pipe 40 which enters thebottom wall II thereof` The pipe 40 is provided with a connectionleading to a bubbler fitting 4I or similar dispenser. To prevent theaccumulation of air volumes at the top of the tank, I provide a smallinjector 30 tube which projects from the pipe d0 to the upper regions ofthe tank. A capped fitting 42 enters the lowest point of the tank I0,and it pro-vides a clean-out opening.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the variousgeometrical formations of the unit may be varied to a considerabledegree without departing from the principles of the invention, as setforth in the accompanying claims.

I claim.:

l. A Water cooler comprising a tank having a substantially cylindricalwall and adapted to be disposed on a vertical axis, water inlet andoutlet conduits communicating with the tank, a tubular refrigerantjacket enclosing the cylindrical wall 45 and having its extremitiessecured to the tank, said wall and jacket being mutually formed adjacenttheir upper ends to provide an annular header substantially in the formof a torus, the remaining portions of the wall and jacket beingconcentrically spaced to provide the walls of an evaporation chambercommunicating with said header, one of the walls of said evaporationchamber being formed with annular grooves, refrigerant supply meanscommunicating with the evaporation chamber, and a suction pipecommunicating with the header.

2. A water cooler comprising a tank having a substantially cylindricalWall and adapted to be disposed on a vertical axis, Water inlet andoutlet conduits communicating with the tank, a tubular refrigerantjacket enclosing the cylindrical wall and having its extremities securedto the tank, said Wall and jacket being mutually formed adjacent theirupper ends to provide an annular header substantially in the form of atorus, the remaining portions of the Wall and jacket beingconcentrically spaced to provide the Walls of an evaporation chambercommunicating with said header, the tank wall in said evaporationchamber being formed with inward extending annular grooves, refrigerantsupply means communicating with the evaporation chamber, and a suctionpipe communicating with the header.

3. A water cooler comprising a tank having a substantially cylindricalwall and adapted to be disposed on a vertical axis, water inlet andoutlet conduits communicating with the tank, a tubular refrigerantjacket enclosing the cylindrical wall and having its extremities securedto the tank, said Wall and jacket being mutually formed adjacent theirupper ends to provide an annular header substantially in the form of atorus, the remaining portions of the wall and jacket beingconcentrically spaced to provide the walls of an evaporation chambercommunicating with said header, one of the Walls of said evaporationchamber being formed with spaced groovesI increasing in sizeprogressively toward said header, refrigerant supply means communicatingwith the evaporation chamber, and a suction pipe communicating with theheader.

LAWRENCE C. SMITH.

